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| United States Patent |
5,735,315
|
|
Petsche
, et al.
|
April 7, 1998
|
Wire loom dobby
Abstract
Attached to a dobby for use in a loom is an actuator which is, in turn,
attached to a first finger and a second finger to move them in unison in a
cycle. The first and second fingers control the position of an upper hook
and a lower hook. These hooks, when engaged by a knife, will raise a
frame. During the first half of a cycle, the actuator positions both
fingers in either an upper or lower position. In the second half of the
cycle, the actuator positions the fingers in either the upper or lower
position.
| Inventors:
|
Petsche; Arnold E. (Arlington, TX);
Ghariban; Nasser (Arlington, TX);
Goodman; Mark A. (Arlington, TX)
|
| Assignee:
|
A.E. Petsche Company, Inc. (Arlington, TX)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
712450 |
| Filed:
|
September 11, 1996 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
139/68; 139/71 |
| Intern'l Class: |
D03C 001/06 |
| Field of Search: |
139/68,69,71,72,66 R
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 3984622 | Oct., 1976 | Ross.
| |
| 4461325 | Jul., 1984 | Palau et al. | 139/76.
|
| 4463323 | Jul., 1984 | Piper.
| |
| 4504696 | Mar., 1985 | Piper.
| |
| 4527135 | Jul., 1985 | Piper.
| |
| 4527597 | Jul., 1985 | Yoshida et al.
| |
| 4559411 | Dec., 1985 | Piper.
| |
| 4566499 | Jan., 1986 | Kitagawa et al.
| |
| 4712298 | Dec., 1987 | Mondor, III.
| |
| 4746769 | May., 1988 | Piper.
| |
| 4850399 | Jul., 1989 | Linka et al.
| |
| 4949760 | Aug., 1990 | Wilson et al.
| |
| 5070913 | Dec., 1991 | Palmer | 139/319.
|
| 5148585 | Sep., 1992 | Jaeger.
| |
| 5246039 | Sep., 1993 | Fredriksson.
| |
| 5360038 | Nov., 1994 | Sano.
| |
| 5365979 | Nov., 1994 | Yoshida | 139/66.
|
| 5390709 | Feb., 1995 | Martonffy.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 62-62944 | Mar., 1987 | JP | 139/71.
|
| 62-263343 | Nov., 1987 | JP | 139/71.
|
Primary Examiner: Falik; Andy
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bradley; James E.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dobby for use with a loom, the dobby having at least one pair of
pivotally mounted fingers for movement in a cycle between upper and lower
positions, each pair of fingers including a first finger and a second
finger, at least one pair of pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks
including a first hook and a second hook, with each pair of hooks
connected to a single frame and each hook within the pair of hooks being
connected to a finger within the pair of fingers for movement between
upper and lower positions during the cycle, and a pair of knives having
means for reciprocating alternately between inward and outward positions
during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the hooks when one of
the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks is in a lower
position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a lower position
to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first knife and a
second knife, the dobby comprising:
actuator means connected to both of the fingers in the pair of fingers for
moving the pair of fingers in unison between the upper and lower
positions;
control means for controlling the movement of the actuator during each half
of the cycle; and wherein
the actuator means and the control means have during one mode of operation
means for placing the pair of fingers in the upper position during both
halves of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in the upper
position during both halves of the cycle, causing the frame to remain in
the lower position during both halves of the cycle.
2. A dobby for use with a loom, the dobby having at least one pair of
pivotally mounted fingers for movement in a cycle between upper and lower
positions, each pair of fingers including a first finger and a second
finger, at least one pair of pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks
including a first hook and a second hook, with each pair of hooks
connected to a single frame and each hook within the pair of hooks being
connected to a finger within the pair of fingers for movement between
upper and lower positions during the cycle, and a pair of knives having
means for reciprocating alternately between inward and outward positions
during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the hooks when one of
the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks is in a lower
position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a lower position
to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first knife and a
second knife, the dobby comprising:
actuator means connected to both of the fingers in the pair of fingers for
moving the pair of fingers in unison between the upper and lower
positions;
control means for controlling the movement of the actuator during each half
of the cycle; and wherein
the actuator means and the control means have during one mode of operation
means for placing the pair of fingers in the lower position during the
first half of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in the lower
position, wherein the first knife engages the first hook thereby raising
the frame during the first half of the cycle, and in the one mode of
operation the actuator means and the control means have means for keeping
the pair of fingers in the lower position during the second half of the
cycle, thereby keeping the second hook in the lower position, wherein the
second knife engages the second hook thereby keeping the frame raised
during the second half of the cycle.
3. A dobby for use with a loom, the dobby having at least one pair of
pivotally mounted fingers for movement in a cycle between upper and lower
positions, each pair of fingers including a first finger and a second
finger, at least one pair of pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks
including a first hook and a second hook, with each pair of hooks
connected to a single frame and each hook within the pair of hooks being
connected to a finger within the pair of fingers for movement between
upper and lower positions during the cycle, and a pair of knives having
means for reciprocating alternately between inward and outward positions
during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the hooks when one of
the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks is in a lower
position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a lower position
to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first knife and a
second knife, the dobby comprising:
actuator means connected to both of the fingers in the pair of fingers for
moving the pair of fingers in unison between the upper and lower
positions;
control means for controlling the movement of the actuator during each half
of the cycle; and wherein
the actuator means and the control means have during one mode of operation
means for placing the pair of fingers in the lower position during the
first half of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in the lower
position, wherein the first knife engages the first hook thereby raising
the frame during the first half of the cycle, and wherein in the one mode
of operation the control means and the actuator means have means for
placing the pair of fingers in the upper position during the second half
of the cycle, thereby placing the second hook in the upper position,
wherein the frame is lowered during the second half of the cycle.
4. A dobby for use with a loom, the dobby having at least one pair of
pivotally mounted fingers for movement in a cycle between upper and lower
positions, each pair of fingers including a first finger and a second
finger, at least one pair of pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks
including a first hook and a second hook, with each pair of hooks
connected to a single frame and each hook within the pair of hooks being
connected to a finger within the pair of fingers for movement between
upper and lower positions during the cycle, and a pair of knives having
means for reciprocating alternately between inward and outward positions
during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the hooks when one of
the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks is in a lower
position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a lower position
to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first knife and a
second knife, the dobby comprising:
actuator means connected to both of the fingers in the pair of fingers for
moving the pair of fingers in unison between the upper and lower
positions;
control means for controlling the movement of the actuator during each half
of the cycle; and wherein
the actuator means and the control means have during one mode of operation
means for placing the pair of fingers in the upper position during the
first half of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in the upper
position, wherein the frame remains in the lower position during the first
half of the cycle, and wherein the control means and the actuator means
have means for placing the pair of fingers in the lower position during
the second half of the cycle, thereby placing the first hook and the
second hook in the lower position, wherein the second knife engages the
second hook thereby raising the frame during the second half of the cycle.
5. The dobby as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuator means is an
electric solenoid.
6. A method for weaving wires into flat cables using a loom having a dobby,
the dobby having at least one pair of pivotally mounted fingers for
movement in a cycle between upper and lower positions, each pair of
fingers including a first finger and a second finger, at least one pair of
pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks including a first hook and a
second hook, with each pair of hooks connected to a single frame and each
hook within the pair of hooks being connected to a finger within the pair
of fingers for movement between upper and lower positions during the
cycle, and a pair of knives reciprocated alternately between inward and
outward positions during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the
hooks when one of the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks
is in a lower position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a
lower position to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first
knife and a second knife, the method comprising:
connecting an actuator to both fingers in the pair of fingers for moving
the fingers in unison between the upper and lower positions;
selectively activating the actuator to move the fingers between the upper
and lower positions to control the pattern weaved by the loom; and
utilizing the actuator to place the pair of fingers in the upper position
during both halves of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in the
upper position during both halves of the cycle, wherein the frame remains
in the lower position during both halves of the cycle.
7. A method for weaving wires into flat cables using a loom having a dobby,
the dobby having at least one pair of pivotally mounted fingers for
movement in a cycle between upper and lower positions, each pair of
fingers including a first finger and a second finger, at least one pair of
pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks including a first hook and a
second hook, with each pair of hooks connected to a single frame and each
hook within the pair of hooks being connected to a finger within the pair
of fingers for movement between upper and lower positions during the
cycle, and a pair of knives reciprocated alternately between inward and
outward positions during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the
hooks when one of the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks
is in a lower position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a
lower position to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first
knife and a second knife, the method comprising:
connecting an actuator to both fingers in the pair of fingers for moving
the fingers in unison between the upper and lower positions;
selectively activating the actuator to move the fingers between the upper
and lower positions to control the pattern weaved by the loom;
utilizing the actuator to place the pair fingers in the lower position
during the first half of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in
the lower position;
engaging the first hook with the first knife to raise the frame during the
first half of the cycle;
utilizing the actuator to keep the pair of fingers in the lower position
during the second half of the cycle, thereby keeping the second hook in
the lower position; and
engaging the second hook with the second knife to keep the frame raised
during the second half of the cycle.
8. A method for weaving wires into flat cables using a loom having a dobby,
the dobby having at least one pair of pivotally mounted fingers for
movement in a cycle between upper and lower positions, each pair of
fingers including a first finger and a second finger, at least one pair of
pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks including a first hook and a
second hook, with each pair of hooks connected to a single frame and each
hook within the pair of hooks being connected to a finger within the pair
of fingers for movement between upper and lower positions during the
cycle, and a pair of knives reciprocated alternately between inward and
outward positions during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the
hooks when one of the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks
is in a lower position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a
lower position to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first
knife and a second knife, the method comprising:
connecting an actuator to both fingers in the pair of fingers for moving
the fingers in unison between the upper and lower positions;
selectively activating the actuator to move the fingers between the upper
and lower positions to control the pattern weaved by the loom;
utilizing the actuator to place the pair of fingers in the lower position
during the first half of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in
the lower position during the first half of the cycle;
engaging the first hook with the first knife to raise the frame during the
first half of the cycle; and
utilizing the actuator to place the pair of fingers in the upper position
during the second half of the cycle, thereby placing the second hook in
the upper position, wherein the frame is lowered during the second half of
the cycle.
9. A method for weaving wires into flat cables using a loom having a dobby,
the dobby having at least one pair of pivotally mounted fingers for
movement in a cycle between upper and lower positions, each pair of
fingers including a first finger and a second finger, at least one pair of
pivotally mounted hooks, each pair of hooks including a first hook and a
second hook, with each pair of hooks connected to a single frame and each
hook within the pair of hooks being connected to a finger within the pair
of fingers for movement between upper and lower positions during the
cycle, and a pair of knives reciprocated alternately between inward and
outward positions during each half of the cycle for engaging one of the
hooks when one of the knives is in an inward position and one of the hooks
is in a lower position to pull the hook outward to lift the frame from a
lower position to an upper position, the pair of knives including a first
knife and a second knife, the method comprising:
connecting an actuator to both fingers in the pair of fingers for moving
the fingers in unison between the upper and lower positions;
selectively activating the actuator to move the fingers between the upper
and lower positions to control the pattern weaved by the loom;
utilizing the actuator to place the pair of fingers in the upper position
during the first half of the cycle, thereby placing the pair of hooks in
the upper position, wherein the frame remains in the lower position during
the first half of the cycle;
utilizing the actuator to place the pair of fingers in the lower position
during the second half of the cycle, thereby placing the first hook and
the second hook in the lower position; and
engaging the second hook with the second knife to raise the frame during
the second half of the cycle.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to weaving looms, and in
particular, to an improved dobby for use with looms which weave a series
of insulated wires into flat, multi-conductor cables. Also, the present
invention discloses a method for controlling the operation of the improved
dobby.
2. Description of the Related Art
In one form or another, looms for weaving thread into cloth have been in
existence for hundreds of years. More recently, it was discovered that
looms originally designed for use in the textile industry could be
modified to weave wire into cables. These cables are often flat in
appearance, and are composed of several individual wires that have been
bound together with a Kevlar thread or the like. These flat,
multi-conductor cables have improved crosstalk and conductance
characteristics in comparison with previous forms of multi-conductor
cables. These cables have many industrial and military applications.
Previous wire weaving looms created these flat cables according to a series
of control devices known as peg boards. In one form, peg boards are
rectangular strips of wood with a series of holes through them. These
holes are designed to receive metal studs. The locations of the metal
studs within the various holes of the peg board determine how the wires
are weaved for one cycle of the weaving process. In practice, long chains
of peg boards are linked together, and for each cycle, the wire weaving
loom will examine a new peg board. In this manner, a large number of
individual wires can be weaved into a flat cable having a specified type
of weave.
A user needs to specify a particular weave in order to provide for drop
outs. Drop outs refer to wires within the cable which, at some point, are
removed from the cable as a whole and are routed elsewhere. For example,
in a thirty foot cable having fifteen individual conductors, a design may
specify that five of the conductors are to branch out from the main cable
ten feet from one end of the cable. When weaving a cable according to the
above design criteria, one must alter the weave ten feet from the
beginning of the cable in order to provide for the drop outs to be
separated from the main cable.
As stated above, previous looms required that long series of peg boards be
fed into the loom in order to specify the weaving pattern. Providing these
long series of peg boards, however, is a very arduous and time consuming
process. For instance, the metal studs within each peg board must be
placed by hand. As such, there are many chances for human error to enter
into this process. Also, storing a series of programmed peg boards for
future use is costly because of the space requirements needed.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a data processing system which
could control the weaving of the flat, multi-conductor wire cable. This
data processing system would make it very easy to program complex series
of weaves.
It would also be advantageous to have an improved wire weaving loom. This
loom would be able to accept commands from the data processing system
mentioned above and weave patterns as specified by the data processing
system. Also, the improvements necessary to transform a standard loom,
which uses peg boards, into a loom which can accept commands from a data
processing system should be easy to make and inexpensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore on object of the present invention to provide a loom for
weaving wire according to commands from a data processing system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for a data
processing system to control the wire weaving loom. This data processing
system should be easy to program and operate.
Another object of the present invention is to allow for the conversion of
older looms into looms which perform according to the current invention.
Accordingly, a dobby for use with a loom is provided. Attached to this
dobby is an actuator. This actuator is, in turn, attached to a first
finger and a second finger. The first and second fingers control the
position of an upper hook and a lower hook. These hooks, when extended by
a knife, will raise a frame. During the first half of a cycle, the
actuator positions the first finger so that it moves the lower hook into
engagement with a lower knife. The lower knife will extend the hook and
raise the frame during the first half of the cycle. In the second half of
the cycle, the actuator positions the second finger so that it moves the
upper hook into engagement with an upper knife. The upper knife then
extends the hook so that the frame is raised during the second half of the
cycle.
A data processing system for controlling a pattern weaved by the loom is
also provided. This data processing system comprises a bus, a central
processing unit, and a data processing system memory. The data processing
system memory is connected to the central processing unit via the bus.
Within the data processing system memory is a weave control mechanism for
specifying the pattern weaved by the loom. Initially, the weave control
mechanism displays a peg board representation having selectable areas
corresponding to peg holes. The user may select various ones of these
holes, thereby programming a pattern to be weaved during one half cycle.
After selecting some of these holes, the data processing system causes the
loom to raise a frame corresponding with the selected areas.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth
in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a
preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best
be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an
illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 depicts a prior art dobby that can be modified according to the
present invention;
FIG. 2 depicts a dobby according to the present invention;
FIG. 3A-3D schematically illustrate the movement of a pair of hooks and
knives according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates a data processing system capable of implementing the
present invention;
FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram of some of the components of the data
processing system shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 illustrates the main control screen for the loom control program;
FIG. 7 illustrates the data entry screen for the loom control program;
FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate process control screens for the loom control
program;
FIG. 9 depicts a process for utilizing the loom control program; and
FIG. 10 illustrates the electronic interface that links the data processing
system to the dobby head.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference now to FIG. 1, there is depicted a cross-sectional view of a
prior art dobby and its connection to a frame. Dobby 222 is comprised of
several elements which work together to selectively raise a plurality of
frames. For clarity, only frame 220 is shown in FIG. 1. Chain cylinder 202
and peg board chain 204 provide the control mechanism for dobby 222. Peg
board chain 204 is comprised of a series of peg boards. In one form, these
peg boards contain two parallel rows of holes. These holes are designed to
receive metal studs. The placement of these studs within the holes
dictates what pattern will be weaved by the loom. One peg board will be
processed for each weaving cycle. After the cycle is complete, chain
cylinder 202 will rotate to advance a new peg board which will dictate how
the next weaving cycle is to be performed.
Chain cylinder 204 controls the pattern weaved by the loom by selectively
raising fingers 206 and 207. During operation, chain cylinder 202 will
rotate a peg board within peg board chain 204 directly under fingers 206
and 207. This peg board will have a hole which aligns with finger 206 and
a hole which aligns with finger 207. If metal studs are present in the
holes which correspond with fingers 206 and 207, these metal studs will
contact fingers 206 and 207, thereby rotating them about point 205. This
rotation will lower the ends of the fingers which are in contact with the
hooks.
The lowering of the portion of a finger which is in contact with a hook
results in the hook associated with the finger being lowered. In FIG. 1,
finger 206 is in contact with hook 208. Also, finger 207 (which is
directly behind finger 206) is connected to hook 214 by needle 212. As
shown in FIG. 1, both hook 214 and 208 are in the lowered position and are
in contact with knives 210 and 224, respectively. If hooks 214 and 208
were not in the lowered position as shown, they would not come in contact
with knives 210 and 224.
When a finger rotates about point 205, the hook associated with that finger
is lowered and the knife associated with that hook will eventually come
into contact with the hook. At this point, the hook will move outward (to
the right in the drawing) along with the knife, with the resulting motion
being that dobby jack 216 pulls on frame jack 218. Frame jack 218 is
connected to frame 220 by a cable. This movement by frame jack 218 results
in frame 220 being raised for one-half cycle. Attached to frame 220 is at
least one wire which is being woven into the multi-conductor cable. This
wire is alternately raised and lowered by frame 220. When a frame is
raised, shuttle 230 passes under the wire for that half cycle. Likewise,
when a frame is lowered, the shuttle will pass over the wire.
Knives 210 and 224 move inward and outward as indicated by the arrows.
Knives 210 and 224 operate in a reciprocal fashion. While knife 210 is
moving inward, knife 224 is moving outward. A movement of one of the
knives 210, 224 from its inward position to its outward position
constitutes one half of a weaving cycle.
Hooks 214 and 224 are pivotally connected to each other on their inner ends
by link 226, which in turn is pivotally connected to dobby jack 216. Dobby
jack 216 pivots about a pivot point 228 when pulled outward by link 226.
If both hook 208 and 214 are in the lowered position, frame 220 stays up
for a full cycle.
Shuttle 230 is provided to bind individual wires into a flat
multi-conductor cable. As the frames of the loom are alternately raised
and lowered, shuttle 230 is moving back and forth (as noted by the arrows)
each half cycle. Attached to shuttle 230 is a spool of Kevlar thread or
the like. As shuttle 230 moves back and forth, the thread unwinds and
binds the individual wires together into a cable.
With reference now to FIG. 2, there is shown an improved dobby according to
the present invention and a data processing system for controlling the
operations of the improved dobby. Central to improved dobby 322 is
solenoid 306. Solenoid 306 is preferably an electrical solenoid, but,
pneumatic type actuators may also be used. Solenoid 306 is connected to
both finger 310 and finger 308. Since solenoid 306 is connected to both
fingers 310 and 308, the raising of one finger by the solenoid will
necessarily raise the other finger. Thus, fingers 310 and 308 will operate
in unison. Being connected to both fingers allows solenoid 306 to control
hook 318 and hook 314 during the same cycle.
Solenoid 306 can control both hook 318 and 314 due to the fact that once a
knife has engaged a hook, no further action by the finger that controls
the hook is necessary to keep the hook engaged with the knife. For
instance, in FIG. 2, hook 318 is in its inward position and is just
beginning to be engaged by knife 320, while hook 314 has been previously
engaged by knife 316 and has been pulled to is outward position. When the
knives are in these positions, solenoid 306 can disregard the positioning
of hook 314 and is free to position hook 318 is accordance with commands
from data processing system 300. Also, assuming hook 314 had not been
engaged by knife 316, the lowering of hook 318 (and as a consequence the
lowering of hook 314) would not make a difference to hook 314 because
knife 316 would already be outward of the point by which it could engage
hook 314. In this manner, solenoid 306 controls both hook 318 and hook
314. Once the hooks have been engaged by a knife, the raising and lowering
of frame 324 is accomplished in the same manner as the prior art.
Consequently, even though fingers 308 and 310 move in unison, hooks 314
and 318 will not necessarily be in unison.
Solenoid 306 receives commands from data processing system 300. A more
detailed description of data processing 300, and its method of operation
will be described below. In summary, data processing system 300 is running
a program which controls the pattern weaved by the loom. Data processing
system 300 issues commands to electrical interface 302. Electrical
interface 302 can then translate these commands into electrical signals to
operate solenoid 306. Also attached to electrical interface 302 is sensor
304. Sensor 304 gives feedback to electrical interface 302 so that
electrical interface 302 knows the position of the knives at any given
time. Sensor 304 communicates to electrical interface 302 when knife 320
is located half-way between the inward position and the outward position.
Thus, sensor 304 will detect knife 320 twice during a given cycle, once
when the knife is moving from the outward position to the inward position,
and once when the knife is moving from the inward position to the outward
position. This feedback allows electrical interface 302 to coordinate the
movements of solenoid 306 with knives 320 and 316.
With respect now to FIGS. 3A-3D, there is shown a pair of knives and a pair
of hooks according to the present invention. Also shown are schematic
representations of fingers 308 and 310. FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate the
relative movements of the knives and hooks as they are controlled by a
single solenoid. In FIG. 3A, the solenoid which controls the elevation of
hooks 318 and 314 has positioned fingers 310 and 308 in the up position
(as noted by the arrows). With neither hook presently engaged by a knife,
the raising of the fingers raises both of the hooks. The solenoid
controlling hooks 318 and 314 is not shown in FIGS. 3A-3D. While in the up
position, neither knife 320 or 316 will engage hook 318 or 314 as knives
320 and 316 reciprocate inward and outward.
In FIG. 3B, the solenoid has lowered hooks 318 and 314 by lowering fingers
310 and 308. Hooks 318 and 314 are lowered at the same time, since the
solenoid is connected to both of the fingers which control the elevation
of the knives. As shown in FIG. 3B, knife 320 has started to engage hook
318. This engagement will allow knife 320 to extend hook 318, thereby
raising the frame connected to hook 318. The lowering of hook 314 is
inconsequential at this point, as knife 316, being positioned outward, is
not in a position to engage hook 314. Thus, in FIG. 3B, the data
processing system controlling the activation of the solenoid is concerned
only with lowering hook 318 and having it engaged by knife 320. During the
transition from FIG. 3B to FIG. 3C, knife 320 will move from its inward
position to its outward position, while knife 316 moves from its outward
position to its inward position. This movement of the knives will be
recorded by sensor 304, shown in FIG. 2. When the sensor detects the
transitioning of the knives from one position to the other, it will relay
this information to the data processing system. When the data processing
system receives notice of this transition, it will then begin to position
hook 314 according to the weaving program it is executing.
In FIG. 3C, knife 320 has fully extended hook 318 to its outward position.
Also, the data processing system has instructed the solenoid to lower hook
314 so that it will be engaged by knife 316. At this point, both hooks 318
and 314 will be engaged by their associated knives.
In the transition from FIG. 3C to FIG. 3D, the sensor has notified the data
processing system of this transition, and the data processing system is
now positioning hook 318 in its upward position, as instructed by the
weaving program. In this instance, the data processing system has
instructed the solenoid to raise hook 318 by raising finger 310, so that
it will not be engaged by knife 320. In response to these instructions,
the solenoid has moved to raise hook 318. Thus, the solenoid is in the
same position in FIG. 3D as it was in FIG. 3A as are fingers 310 and 308.
However, since hook 314 has previously been engaged by knife 316, the
movement of finger 308 will have no effect on hook 314. This is because
the weight of the frame connected to hook 314 will keep it pressed tightly
against knife 316. In this matter, a single solenoid may selectively
control the position of two hooks.
Referring now to FIG. 4, data processing system 510 is depicted. As shown,
data processing system 510 comprises a number of components which are
interconnected together. More particularly, system unit 512 is coupled to
and can drive an optional monitor 514 (such as a conventional video
display). System unit 512 also can be optionally coupled to input devices;
such as PC keyboard 516 or mouse 518. An optional output device, such as
printer 520, also can be connected system unit 512. Finally, system unit
512 may include one or more mass storage devices such as diskette drive
522.
As will be described below, system unit 512 responds to input devices, such
as PC keyboard 516, mouse 518, or local area networking interfaces.
Additionally, input/output (I/O) devices, such as floppy diskette drive
522, display 514, printer 520, and local area network communication system
are connected to system unit 512 in a manner well known. Of course, those
skilled in the art are aware that other conventional components also can
be connected to system unit 512 for interaction therewith. In accordance
with the present invention, data processing system 510 includes a system
processor that is interconnected to a random access memory (RAM), a read
only memory (ROM), and a plurality of I/O devices.
In normal use, data processing system 510 can be designed to give
independent computing power to a small group of users as a server or a
single user. In operation, the system processor functions under an
operating system, such as Microsoft's Windows 95, IBM's OS/2 operating
system or Apple Computer Corporation's Mac OS, or DOS. OS/2 is a
registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. "Mac
OS" is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Corporation.
Electrical interface 501 is provided to allow data processing system 510 to
communicate with the loom shown in FIG. 2. Electrical interface 501 is
illustrated in more detail in FIG. 10. With reference now to FIG. 10, data
processing system 510 communicates looming information to board 1000. In
the preferred embodiment of the present invention, board 1000 is a circuit
board manufactured by National Instruments and sold under the tradename
"LabPC+Data Acquisition Board." Board 1000 controls the activation the
relays on relay board 1002. Relay board 1002 contains 16 solid state
relays that control the movements of solenoids 1004. When a relay on relay
board 1002 is activated, power from D/C power supply 1006 is connected to
a particular solenoid 1004 on the dobby head. Position sensor 1008 (which
is also shown as sensor 304 in FIG. 3) and loom RUN/STOP sensor 1010
communicate to board 1000 the position of the loom at all times. RUN/STOP
sensor 1010 communicates whether the loom is running or is stopped. In
this manner, one can program the pattern to be weaved into data processing
system 510, and via electrical interface 501, have this information
translated into control signals which control the activation of the
actuators attached to the improved dobby.
Prior to relating the above structure to the present invention, a brief
summary of the operation of data processing system 510 may merit review.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a block diagram of data processing
system 510 illustrating the various components of data processing system
510 in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 further illustrates
components of motherboard 511 and the connection of motherboard 511 to I/O
slots 546a-546d and other hardware of data processing system 510.
Connected to motherboard 511 is the system central processing unit (CPU)
526 comprised of a microprocessor which is connected by a high speed CPU
local bus 524 through a bus controlled timing unit 538 to a memory control
unit 550 which is further connected to a volatile random access memory
(RAM) 558.
CPU local bus 524 (comprising data, address and control components)
provides for the connection of CPU 526, an optional math coprocessor 527,
a cache controller 528, and a cache memory 530. Also coupled on CPU local
bus 524 is a buffer 532. Buffer 532 is itself connected to a slower speed
(compared to the CPU local bus) system bus 534, also comprising address,
data and control components. System bus 534 extends between buffer 532 and
a further buffer 536. System bus 534 is further connected to a bus control
and timing unit 538 and a Direct Memory Access (DMA) unit 540. DMA unit
540 is comprised of a central arbitration unit 548 and a EDMA controller
541. Buffer 536 provides an interface between the system bus 534 and an
optional feature bus such as Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus
544. Other bus architectures such as a an ISA bus or NuBus may be employed
for PCI bus 544. NuBus is a registered trademark of Apple Computer
Corporation. These memory modules represent the system memory of data
processing system 510.
A further buffer 566 is coupled between system bus 534 and a motherboard
I/O bus 568. Motherboard I/O bus 568 includes address, data, and control
components respectively. Coupled along motherboard bus 568 are a variety
of I/O adapters and other peripheral components such as display adapter
570 (which is used to drive an optional display 514), a clock 572,
nonvolatile RAM 574 (hereinafter referred to as "NVRAM"), a RS232 adapter
576, a parallel adapter 578, a plurality of timers 580, a diskette adapter
582, a PC keyboard/mouse controller 584, and a read only memory (ROM) 586.
The ROM 586 includes the system Basic Input/Output (BIOS) which provides
the user transparent communications between many I/O devices.
Connected to keyboard/mouse controller 584 are ports A and B. These ports
are used to connect a PC keyboard (as opposed to an ASCII terminal) and
mouse to the PC system. Coupled to RS232 adapter unit 576 is an RS232
connector. An optional ASCII terminal can be coupled to the system through
this connector.
Specifically, data processing system 510 may be implemented utilizing any
suitable computer such as the IBM personal computer, Apple Macintosh
computer, or Sun workstation, to name a few.
With reference now to FIG. 6, there is depicted the main program screen for
the loom control program. This program is capable of being executed on the
data processing system described in FIGS. 4 and 5. The initial screen of
the loom control program, depicted in FIG. 6, has three main options.
First, one can activate edit platform button 602. Activation of edit
platform button 602 will cause the loom control program to display the
screen shown in FIG. 7. From this screen, a user can enter information and
edit previously stored information which will determine the pattern to be
weaved by the loom when activated.
Second, there is run platform button 604. Activation of this button will
cause the loom control program to display the screen shown in FIG. 8. From
this screen, one can have the loom begin weaving using information entered
into the screen shown in FIG. 7.
Finally, there is stop main program button 606. Activation of this button
will stop all of the weaving processes and will end the loom control
program.
With reference now to FIG. 7, there is depicted edit platform screen 700.
Edit platform screen 700 displays a plurality of peg board
representations. These peg boards allow a user to enter information into
the loom control program that will determine what pattern is weaved by the
loom. Allowing one to enter information into peg board representations is
desirable because these peg boards represent a familiar way by which to
program the loom. In the past, looms were programed by placing metal studs
in the holes of the peg board. Loom platform screen 700 provides a user
interface which allows one to select the holes in the displayed peg
boards. This selection may be done with a pointing device such as a mouse.
This selection process is analogous to placing metal studs in wooden peg
boards. Thus, a person accustomed to programming a loom by placing metal
studs in a series of peg boards will be quite comfortable with programming
the screen as shown in FIG. 7.
When loom platform screen 700 is initially displayed, the user is prompted
with a file menu from which the user can choose an existing data file or
the user can choose to create a new data file. The name of the file chosen
by the user is displayed in current project box 702.
Activation of compile switch 704 saves modifications to the project file
without leaving loom platform screen 700 or designating a new project
file. This provides for a user to quickly save modifications.
New project switch 706 saves the data that has already been entered under
the name listed in current project box 702, then clears the data so that a
user may begin to input a new set of data. Upon activating new project
switch 706, the user will be prompted to select another data file, or to
specify the name of a new data file.
In a manner similar to new project switch 706, return to main switch 708
saves the current data displayed on the screen, and will return the user
to the screen as shown in FIG. 6.
Peg board box 710 is provided so that a user may enter information into it,
thus specifying the pattern the loom is to weave. Within box 710, there
are several holes. These holes are analogous to the holes found in older,
wooden peg boards. As can be seen in box 710, some of the holes are
colored, an example of which is hole 714. Also, some holes are empty. The
colored holes have been selected by a user and correspond to metal studs
in an older, wooden peg board. These holes may be selected by a mouse or
other pointing device. The holes which are not colored correspond to empty
holes in a wooden peg board.
As is evident in FIG. 7, box 710 is only one of many boxes. The holes
within the other boxes may be selected in the same manner as the holes in
box 710. Thus, by selecting various holes in the boxes shown in FIG. 7,
one may program the loom to weave numerous patterns.
The last pegs on each line in box 710 are referred to as packing pegs. An
example of a packing peg is packing peg 711 found in box 710. The loom is
equipped with a ratchet style mechanical feed to pull the wire cable
through the loom. There are occasions when the operator would like to pack
the weave by momentarily halting the pull mechanism, which causes the
thread to pack tightly. Packing pegs cause a solenoid to disengage the
ratchet mechanism, thus deactivating the pull mechanism of the loom.
When the loom control program begins to process the boxes shown in FIG. 7,
the loom will examine box 718 first. The program will then send signals to
the loom to activate the solenoids which correspond with the selected
holes. As described above, the activation of the solenoids ultimately
results in the frames associated with the holes being raised.
If a repeat count has been specified in box 722, the program will send the
same signals to the loom for the next cycle. The repeat box allows one to
repeat the pattern in a given peg board representation without having to
program other peg board representations. The program will send the same
signals to the loom for the number of times specified in the repeat box.
After the loom control program finishes processing box 718, it goes on to
box 720. The program will send signals to the loom as described in box
720, according to the repeat value associated with box 720. The program
continues processing the rest of the boxes in FIG. 7 until it reaches the
last programmed peg board. At that point, the program will loop back to
the first peg board and repeat the cycle.
With reference now to FIG. 8, there is depicted run platform screen 800. As
was stated above, run platform screen 800 is activated by the selection of
run platform button 604, shown in FIG. 6. Upon activation of run platform
button 604, a file menu prompts the user to choose the name of an existing
file. The selected file name is displayed in current project file window
802. This file was created by entering data into the screen shown in FIG.
7, and saving the data under a file name as specified in current project
window 702. At this point, the loom begins to weave a cable and the
program continually monitors the status of the loom using position sensor
1008 and loom RUN/STOP sensor 1010. When the operator starts the loom,
loom RUN/STOP sensor 1010 signals the program to initiate the required
solenoids according to the loaded project file. As the loom weaves,
position sensor 1008 allows the program to determine at what time to
process the multiple lines of peg board configurations. Automated loom
program window 820 displays the current line of the program this is being
processed and the next line to be processed. This display is constantly
updated when the program is running.
Change position button 804 allows one specify which peg board with which to
start the weaving process. For instance, one may want to start the weaving
process using peg board #8 instead of the first peg board. When the
weaving process reaches the last peg board, it will start again with the
first peg board, no matter what value is specified using change position
button 804. Activation of change position button 804 displays change
position screen 850 shown in FIG. 8B. From change position screen 850, one
enters the new position in new position box 852, then activates O.K.
button 854 to return to run platform screen 800.
Return to main button 806 stops all weaving process and returns a user to
the main program screen as shown FIG. 6. New project button 808 halts the
current weaving process and allows one to specify a new current project
file. Window 810 indicates which peg board representation is currently
being processed.
Total number of stages running window 818 allows one to specify how many
cables are to be weaved at a given time. In the preferred embodiment, the
loom can weave up to 4 cables at one time. Thus, one can enter a value
from 1 to 4 in this window. The number of cables completed this cycle
window 814 displays the number of cables which have been completed during
the activation of the project file. Total number of stages running window
818 is used to calculate the number of cables completed this cycle. Total
number of program bars window 816 displays the total number of individual
lines used in the weave data program. Finally, manual advance button 812
allows one to advance the weaving process one half frame at a time. This
feature may be useful when trouble-shooting mechanical problems on the
loom.
With reference now to FIG. 9, there is depicted a flow chart which
illustrates the flow of the loom control program. Initially, one activates
the loom control program to display the screen shown in FIG. 6 (902). From
this screen, the user first selects the edit platform option to display
the screen shown in FIG. 7 (904). When the screen shown in FIG. 7 is
displayed, the user is prompted to specify an existing file or given the
option to create a new file (906). At this point, one can enter
information into the peg board representations, thereby specifying a
pattern to be weaved; or one can modify an existing pattern (910). After
entering or modifying the data, the file is saved (910, 914, 912), and the
user returned to the screen shown in FIG. 6 (912). At the main menu, one
selects the run platform button to display the screen shown in FIG. 8
(916). The user is then prompted for the project file name to be loaded
(918). After a file name is specified, the weave program is processed
based upon the actions of the loom (i.e., the position sensor and the
RUN/STOP sensor) and the data contained in the file (920). After the loom
finishes weaving, a new file may be specified (922), or the program
returns to the main program screen.
The invention described above presents significant advantageous over
previous dobbies. Previous dobbies which used solenoids to control the
position of hooks, attached solenoids to both the upper hook (hook 318 in
FIGS. 2 and 3) and the lower hook (hook 314 in FIGS. 2 and 3). This type
of design requires twice as many solenoids as does the present invention,
since the present invention requires only one solenoid to control two
hooks. Also, designs which require that a solenoid be connected to each
hook require that many more modifications be made to the existing dobby,
thereby making these modifications very expensive. In contrast, the
present invention with a single solenoid connected to a pair of fingers
which are located on the outer portion of the dobby makes retrofitting
existing dobbies relatively simple. Finally, the amount of space within a
dobby to place solenoids is very limited. Thus, dobbies with a solenoid
for each hook are difficult to maintain due to the density of the
solenoids within the dobby
It is important to note that while the method of controlling the improved
dobby has been described in the context of a fully functional data
processing system, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
mechanisms of the present invention are capable of being distributed in
the form of a computer readable medium of instructions in a variety of
forms, and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the
particular type of signal bearing media used to actually carry out the
distribution. Examples of computer readable media include: recordable type
media such as floppy disks and CD-ROMs and transmission type media such as
digital and analog communication links.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with
reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made
therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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